Kupid – Who Shot Ya

By starrymag | July 13, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I would describe my sound as new age hip-hop and island-pop. I say that because it is hip-hop, but I make sure to show that I am from the islands so that feel will come out in my music.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I have a lot of musical influences because I do listen to all types of music. if I had to pick my Top Five though in no order or music genre, I would have to say Biggie Smalls (Hip-Hop), Nas (Hip-Hop), Red Rat (Reggae), Blink 182 (Rock) and Michael Jackson (Pop)

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Who Shot Ya.”

 

A) Well that is a great story. When coming up with the song “Who Shot Ya” I reached out to the producer Troyton Rami. I then went over to his studio (Black Shadow Studio in Miami, FL) and asked him to make a remix / part 2 of my other single called “Hey Girl ft Thomas Miller.” He looked at me and said, “I know just what to do.” So, we ended up working on “Who Shot Ya” for about six months to get it right.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think what the fans like the best is the hook. It has a special hook to it. I find a lot of people listen to the song and walk away from it and then come back later in the day and are singing the hook. To me, that is when you know you have something special because if you can sing a song back to me from only hearing it once or twice, then that is a keeper.

 

Q) How did you come to work with Jus J on the track?

 

A) Jus J is a great guy; he used to be in a group called Summit 103 and one of the other boys of the group was a friend of mine. So, I reached out to them and told them about the song and they were more than happy to jump on the song for me. That’s the thing I love about us as indie artists, we make sure to help each other out.

 

Q) What was it like working with Troyton Rami on the song?

 

A) Well, Troyton is more than just one of my producers, he is a mentor to me. He helps me out about a lot of the things people may not know about the music game. He is one of the people that I feel if I hadn’t met, then maybe I wouldn’t even be here talking to you guys about life. So, he a great guy to work with and has a very positive outlook and always has a great outlook on life when he is dealing with me.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) My song writing process depends on my mood. [laughs] I say that because if am trying to get a point across, like my feelings about a topic, I would write a song with no beat and then wait until I find a beat that fits it. Now, that doesn’t happen all the time because sometimes I need to hear the beat before I can get the feeling out from the beat. Then, I write the topic the beat leads me to write. So, I guess you can say I do both because I started out writing poems when I was in high school.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I work with a group of different producers. So, it all depends on what producer I am working with because some of them like to hear my feedback and others I let them do what they do best. It is like going into someone else’s job and telling them how to do what they do every day. It’s one thing to give ideas, but I try not to step on anyone’s toes in that area.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Kupid performance?

 

A) What fans can expect when they see me on stage is a very high energy show. I am not just a rapper or a dancer. I am an entertainer and I want everyone to leave the show saying “that kid gave his all on that stage.”

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) I don’t really have one place I like to perform more than others. I just love to hit the stage and give everyone what they came to see and say that is a good show. I love to see people enjoy themselves.

 

Q) Will there be an EP or full album coming in the near future?

 

A) I am happy you asked this question so I don’t have to plug it in on another question. [laughs] I am dropping an EP this year. I just finished the tracks last week. Me and another producer, named Niko Star, have been working on this project for about a year and four months. I just got cover art back and we just sent all the tracks out to get mixed and mastered. I don’t have a release date yet, but I can tell you the name of the album. It’s called 7/7. This EP is going to have my hit singles “Who Shot Ya (Produced by Troyton Rami),” “Hey Girl (produced by Blacks Sands)” and “Rant” (Produced by Niko Star).

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) That is an easy question, hands down, Bruno Mars. That man has a really good look at music and how he comes up with his idea and melody to me is just great stuff.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I can give you four that is in my playlist right now as of today, date. 1. Michael Jackson History Album 2. B.o.B (Ether) 3. The Notorious B.I.G. (Life After Death) 4. Buju Banton & Friends.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you

 

A) Everything these days is about social media so that makes it very important. I try to make sure to post something every day, even if it’s something as small as telling my fans to have a good day. I like to show them I am human, too. I am not anything different than them so they can find something about me they can relate to.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) I would like to say thank you for everything you guys have done for me. The support is all we as artists ever need. It just goes to show that if you put your mind to something you can get it done and no one can tell you that you can’t do something. I am valid proof of that. #teamQ

 

Make sure to check all of my songs, videos and merchandise on my website www.Q4eva.com!